Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-14
A YOUTHFUL TRANsGREssOR.
T.. j. Kennedy Confesses to the Robbine
,f Tho Sacramento postoffice.

T.. j. Kennedy Confesses to the Robbing
of the Sacramento Postofiice.
E. j. Kennedy is bright, intelligent
young man about eighteen years OF age, OF
respectable parentage. On October l, 1885,
Postmaster Green appointed him as a spe-
cial delivery messenger in this city. He
had the confidence of Mr.. Green, and also
of the latter's successor, Mr.. Stephens, until
few months ago, when he was connected
somewhat with questionable transactions,
and was dismissed from the service. The
position he held necessitated his remaining
in the office at night, some hours after the
other employees had gone to their homes
One morning one of the mailing-clerks
missed $l3 of his private funds, which he
had placed in drawer for sale Keeping.
The matter was reported to Postmaster
Stephens, and although nothing was said
to Kennedy about it, he was strongly sus-
picioned. Shortly afterwards it was dis
covered that an attempt had been made,
during the night, to force open the drawer
containing due money" small coins, one
and two-cent pieces. One night mailing
clerk returned to the Office for forgotten
article, and on opening the door discovered
Kennedy at the box of Weinstock & Lu-
bin. The matter was
REPORTED TO THE POSTMASTER,
And on Kennedy's being questioned re-
garding it, he said some one from the store
called to inquire about some private letters
contained in the box, and he had looked
through its contents to oblige them. Lost
letter tracers began to come in thick and
fast. The matter was referred to proper
authorities, who investigated it as thor
oughly as possible resulting in coming to
the conclusion that the fault was not in the
Sacramento office. On the I'D of October
last, Kennedy failed to deliver letter, and
upon being questioned regarding it, said he
had lost it. Mr. Leake, the deputy in the
Office, who thought that everything was
not quite right, told Kennedy that he must
find the letter. At the same time Mr..
Leake left the Office. On his return after
few minutes absence Kennedy produced
the letter, saying it had been mislaid. He
was thereupon discharged. He went to the
railroad shops and commenced learning
trade, and has been thus employed ever
since. AT the end of the year, the deputy
Postmaster went into the basement to
make some alterations in the store-room to
enable him to pack away number of old
reports and records. In moving some
shelving he discovered
LARGE BUNDLE OF OPENED LETTERS.
The letters were gathered up and tie In
spector sent for On the latter arrival he
was shown the letters, and also informed of
the questionable actions Of Kennedy,
which caused all to believe him to be the
guilty party. Another batch of letters adj
dressed to Weinstock & Lubin, bearing the
delivery mark of October 18th, was found
In this last there was SO letters
and two postal cards. Among the opened
letters some of the envelopes contained
checks, money orders and stamps, and
those entirely empty are supposed to have
contained coin or currency. After this dis
covery Mr.. Leake sent note to Kennedy
to call at the office. He called in the even
ing, and Mr.. Leake told him of the dis
covery and asked him if he was not the
guilty party. The boy
MADE NO ATTEMPT AT coNcEALMENT,
And told how he had robbed the boxes of
the mail, and afterwards rihed the envel-
opes of the money they contained. The
last lot he had not opened, because of hay
ing been discharged before an opportunity
offered itself for doing so. He went into
the basement, showed Mr.. Leake where he
had placed them, and had no hesitancy in
relating all the circumstances connected
with the robbery, down to the minutest
detail He was asked why he did such
thing. He replied that he did not know
why he did do it. He did not think he was
doing any great wrong, and in order to ex
culpate all the other employees, be would
make q written statement confessing the
crime He then sat down at the desk in
the private Office and wrote the following
letter:
SACRAMENTO. January S, 1887.
Il. D. Stephens, Postmaster, SdcrumeRt0-DEAR
SIR hereby acknowledge placing a lot of let
ters addressed TO Weinstock & Lubin, Sacra-
mento in a box in the back room, said letters
having been taken out of Drawer ID on october
IL 1886. No one connected with the Office had
anything TO do with it but myself. l make this
statement voluntarily to relieve yourself and
clerks from any blame in the matter.
ED. J. KENNEDY.
The letter was signed in the presence of
two employees of the Postoffice, with whom
he had talked freely about the matter. His
confession was forwarded to the proper au-
thorities, and yesterday morning Deputy
United States Marshal went to the railroad
shops where Kennedy was at work and
placed him under arrrst. He was taken
before United States Commissioner Robin
son, where he was held to answer before
the United States Grand Jury in San Fran
cisco to-day. Pending that time. he was
admitted to bail in the sum of 81, 600.